Geri Nikolai: Hide your trash cans for a day and see how much you can recycle

Sunday

Jul 27, 2014 at 7:00 AM

By Geri NikolaiRockford Register Star

Forgive me, Mother Earth, for I have sinned. In these busy weeks of summer with grandkids and their friends raiding the fridge and cupboards, our recycling efforts took a downturn. There were times, I admit, I held in my hands a plastic bottle or cardboard box and knew I should walk to the recycling bin in the garage but, in a rush to clean up, tossed it in the nearest wastebasket.

It’s no wonder every garbage day we were lugging three or four big black plastic bags, plus a garbage can, to the curb.

But then two things happened to straighten me out. The city of Rockford dropped off a bright blue recycling barrel, almost as big as a standard garbage can. About the same time, I happened to see a memo sent to Rockford Park District workers by Brandon Larson, building and facility supervisor. He suggested they hide their trash cans for a day and see how much of what they normally throw away could be recycled.

Re-inspired, I led the troops in a recycling campaign. I reminded them of what can be recycled, including things once forbidden like Styrofoam, spray cans, and those little gum wrappers they leave around the house.

That week we carried to the curb one garbage can barely more than half full and one packed-to-the-gills recycling can. I was so surprised I thought perhaps it was just a strange week for disposables in the Nikolai household. But the next week, the same thing happened.

Wow — for the little effort it took to recycle all that could be recycled, we saved money by not using black garbage bags, we avoided the yuckiness of garbage bags setting in the garage for days, and we helped Mother Earth.

Now, if only someone invented a kitchen trash container with space for garbage and recyclables, we would be set. So far, we are saving the recyclables in a separate waste basket.

Builders ought to consider this when designing kitchens. I think every new home ought to have a built-in bin for trash, recyclables and, maybe, even compost material.

If you have a handy way to separate and handle household trash, let me know at the email address below and I will share the tip.

Garden tours

Today is the last day of Wild Ones’ free tour of gardens which attract birds and beneficial insects, including the declining Monarch butterflies. The nine sites, open from 1 to 5 p.m., are: 9293 Easton View Court, Midway Village Museum, 3218 Redhawk Trail, 3038 Bildahl St., and 4411 Dorset Drive, all in Rockford; 7777 Shaw Road in Belvidere; 720 N. Center St. in Rockton; NorthPointe at 5605 Rockton Road in Roscoe; and 14197 White School Road in South Beloit.

Geri Nikolai writes about home, nature and gardens for the Rockford Register Star. She can be contacted at gmnikolai@gmail.com or 815-871-6850.